Tongue-support



(No Model.) I Y j G. W-. VAN DE MARK 8: G. MOORE. TONGUE SUPPORT; .No.357,428. Patented Feb. 8, 1887'.

.INVENTOR: I

A WITNESSES Z zw ' ATTORNEYS.

Nv PETERS. Photo-Lithographer. Washington D4 0.

- ST TES Unit's CHARLES \V. VAN DE MARK AND CALVIN MOORE, OF CLYDE,KANSAS.

TONGUE-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,428, dated February8, 1887,

Application filed November 12, 1886. Serial No. 218,705. A (No model.)

T at whom it 71mg; concern.-

Be it known that we, OnARLns W. VAN DE MARK and CALVIN MOORE, of Clyde,in the county of Cloud and State of Kansas, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Tongue-Supports, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention is an improved tongue-sup port; and it consists incertain features of construction and novel combinations of parts, aswill be described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvement. Fig.2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof, and Fig. 3 is aperspective detail view of the spring.

The hounds A A and tongue B may be of the ordinary construction,connected by the common cross-shaft O, as shown. The spring D is formedof the cross-bar E, of spring metal or material, and the arms F E, whichlatter are also of spring material, are secured at one end to the bar Eand extend forward therefrom. At its ends the bar E is secured to thehounds or other support. This is preferably accomplished in the mannershown by fitting staples G over the ends of said cross-bar and securingsuch staples to the hounds, the ends of the cross-bar E being bent,forming projections e, which prevent the bar from becoming detached fromthe staples. This form of connection with the hounds permits thenecessary movements of bar E forsuch bar to act as a spring.

By threading the arms of the staples G and providing nuts 9 on the armsbelow the hounds the cross-bar may be held'close to the hounds, orpermitted to have more or less play, according to the angle at which itis de sired to support the tongue.

The arms F F extend, in use, over the shaft 0, and then below and bearunder the tongue at H. At their forward ends, where they bear under thetongue, the arms are rounded at ff, in order that they may move easilyagainst the tongue and not to any great extent wear the same.

Instead of resting the arms F directly on the shaft, it is preferred toprovide an intermediate connection between such parts. This connectionin the construction shown is a bolt, I, having a threaded shank, t,secured to the shaft.

.erly turning these nutsthe arm may be secured at any suitable distanceabove the hounds, as may be desired, in order to vary the height atwhich the tongue will be supported. The operation will be readilyunderstood from the drawings and foregoing description.

It will be seen that the tongue may be so supported as to relieve theteam of itsweight, and thatthe devices for so supporting the tongue aresimple, inexpensive, and not likely to get out ofv order. Now, theconstruction and arrangement of the hounds, tongue, and shaft 0, asshown, are common, and while our invention gives good results with sucharrangement, it will be understood that it might be employed inconnection with other forms and arrangement of hounds, tongue, and shaft0, and with a different form of connection between the tongue andvehicle.

The hounds form the support for the spring,

and the shaft 0 a fulcrum therefor, as will be understood from theforegoing description.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is- 1. In atongue-support, and as a new article of manufacture, a spring, D,consisting of a cross-bar, E, and spring-arms F, secured at one end tosuch bar, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a tonguesupport, of the tongue, a spring-support,a fulcrum, and a spring having a cross-bar secured to thespring-support, and spring-arms secured to such cross-bar extendedforward over the fulcrum, and having their forward ends bearing underthe tongue, substantially as set forth.

3. The herein-described spring for tonguesupports, cohsisting of thecross-bar E, having projections e at its ends, and the arms F, securedat one end to cross-bar E, and having their opposite or forward endsrounded, sub stantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The combination, with the tongue, the

"shaft, and a spring-support, of the spring secured on the,spring-support, and having an arm or arms extended forward over theshaft, I over said bar and securing it to the hounds,

and thence under the tongue, and a connecthe arms F, having theirforward ends rounded tion, I, having a forked head, J, fitting over atfand bearing under the tongue, and the the shaft 0, a threaded shank, 6,extended connections I between arms F and shaft 0, all 5 through thearm, and nuts K, all arranged substantially as set forth.

and operating substantially as and for the pur- CHARLES \V. VAN DE MARK.poses specified. A CALVIN MOORE.

5. The combination of the hounds A, the XVitnesses: tongue B, the shaftC, the cross-bar E, having H. S. BREED, I3 project-ions c at its ends,the staples G, fitting M. V. 13. VAN DE'MARK.

